International students must demonstrate proficiency in English as one of the conditions for admission. Submission of a minimum score of 550 paper based (PB), 213 computer based (CB), or 79 internet based (iBT) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for all applicants whose native language is not English by the Graduate College. Departments may require a higher score and may have minimum score requirements by test module that must be met to qualify for admission. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination can be submitted in lieu of the TOEFL. The minimum IELTS score requirement for admissions consideration is a score of 7, with a score of no less than 6 on any individual module. In the case of both the TOEFL and the IELTS, test scores must be dated within two years of the date of enrollment.

Graduate departments can recommend a student for Conditional Admission if the prospective student meets all Graduate College requirements except for the minimum English proficiency requirement.  Conditional admission is simply a promise of future admission and students admitted in this manner are required to complete an English training course and provide future English proficiency proof as stated above before final admission and attendance in graduate courses. 

Conditional Admission requires that the student apply to and enroll at the UA Center for English as a Second Language (CESL) at their own cost (or their sponsor's) with the expectation of achieving TOEFL-equivalent English proficiency within one year. The initial I-20 or DS2019 will be generated by CESL. Once CESL certifies that the student has achieved English proficiency at the TOEFL or IELTS minimum, he or she will be admitted as a regular standing graduate student (or provisional if the department wants to impose additional requirements) to pursue graduate studies. At the time the student's admission status changes from Conditional to Regular (or Provisional) status, a new I-20 or DS2019 will be issued by the University of Arizona. Under current U.S. State Department Homeland Security requirements, international students cannot attend the university in Non-Degree status. If English proficiency is not achieved within one year of the conditional admission, students can continue at UA by applying to Undergraduate Admissions (where the TOEFL requirement if 500), or reapplying to the Graduate College after an extended stay at CESL (at an additional cost to themselves or their sponsor).

Check this page for TOEFL test locations and availability. The new iBT TOEFL test will have 4 sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. Each will have scores from 0 to 30 for a total score from 0 to 120. The Graduate College has not set minimum scores in the four test areas for admission, but many departments may have set minimum scores for each area by discipline. Preliminary studies suggest that a 26 on the new Speaking section is about 50 on the SPEAK. See http://www.ets.org/toefl/nextgen/index.html for more information and suggestions on how departments may want to use the new test. See http://www.ets.org/toefl/nextgen/index.html for more information.

For information on the IELTS, please check the IELTS website (www.ielts.org). ELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations."

Exemptions:  Exempt from submitting English proficiency scores are applicants who have completed two years of full-time, upper division, academic study in the U.S., or who have received a bachelor's or graduate degree from institutions in the United States, English-speaking Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand. However, if the student has been residing outside these countries since completing studies or earning a degree, he or she may be required to submit current TOEFL or IELTS scores as part of the admissions process.

When requested by the applicant, the Educational Testing Service will send an official score report directly to The University of Arizona. Contact TOEFL Services to request the mailing of your score report. The University of Arizona institution code is 4832. An international student's application is not considered complete until minimum TOEFL scores (550 PB, 213 CB, or 79 iBT) or above are received by the Graduate College Admissions Office. The test date must be within two years of the intended term of enrollment. In the case of the IELTS, results from the test will be sent to the academic institution addresses provided by the candidate on the application form. The address for the Graduate Admissions at The University of Arizona is Graduate Admissions, Administration Bldg. Room 322, P.O. Box 210066, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA.

Prospective students who lack college-level English proficiency or who would like to increase their English ability, can attend full-time English language training on campus at the Center for English as a Second Language (CESL). Full semester or summer term sessions carry no college credit. Students can meet the Graduate College's English proficiency requirement for admission by completing a full-time day program at CESL and obtaining written verification from the Director of CESL that they have attained satisfactory proficiency in the English language. Further information can be requested from the Center for English as a Second Language, The University of Arizona, P.O. Box 210024, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0024, U.S.A. (cesl@email.arizona.edu, http://www.cesl.arizona.edu)

International students seeking graduate teaching assistantships must also obtain, in addition to the minimum TOEFL score listed above or higher, an acceptable score on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) or the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) administered by the University of Arizona. Students who score 26 on the speak portion of the iBT MAY be exempted from the UA testing requirement with permission of their respective hiring department.  Refer to the Employment in Teaching and Research for further information.